In this chaotic woodland party, men and women dance, drink, play music and behave badly. They gather around a statue of a red-faced satyr with horns, which may represent Pan, god of shepherds and herdsmen, or Priapus, god of gardens. Both deities are linked to the mischievous god of wine, Bacchus. Bacchanalian festivals were held in ancient Roman times to ensure a good harvest, and according to literary descriptions they involved lots of sex and alcohol. The goat, faun and the flower garlands we see here were part of the festivities.
These naughty partygoers look like actors on a stage: the musical instruments and masks in the foreground relate to these festivals' dramatic plays. The muscular figures and their flowing drapery convey Poussin’s interest in Classical sculpture. The warmth of this scene is conveyed by the dusky sky and colourful draperies, now faded although once vibrant.
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Humphrey Wine, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Seventeenth Century French Paintings’, London 2001; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
J. Smith, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French Painters: In Which is Included a Short Biographical Notice of the Artists, with a Copious Description of Their Principal Pictures […], vol. 2, London 1830
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
This replica frame dates from the nineteenth century. It is crafted from oak and limewood. On the back edge of the frame is a French acanthus-leaf moulding. The corner cartouches are adorned with S-scrolls, leaves and curling stepped scrolls that surround a small central palmette. Between the cartouches, strapwork is fitted with gadroons, various C-scrolls, and motifs of leaves and flower tendrils, which spill over the back edge. Most notably, on the vertical side moulding, a carved sunflower (almost hidden from view) symbolises longevity and lasting happiness. The leaves also spread over the sanded flat and lead to the French acanthus-leaf sight moulding.
A skilled ‘répareur’ meticulously crafted veins on the leaves, cross-hatchings and linear backgrounds using various-sized iron tools.
The frame on Poussin’s The Triumph of Pan is a copy of the eighteenth-century frame on The Triumph of Bacchus (Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City).
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